Washoku, or 和食, the local food of Japan, has evolved over centuries and is greatly celebrated as a part of the international gourmet scene. The cuisine consists of diverse Japanese dishes that are primarily seasonal. Of late, people from different regions worldwide have shown a growing interest in this cuisine as it is known for being healthy. Traditional Japanese cuisine is also famous due to the novelty of the super-fresh dishes and the fusion of heritage with modern ethos. To top it off, the dishes are presented aesthetically, tantalising the taste buds of food lovers worldwide.
Exciting gastronomical choices await you with a mixture of regional and seasonal food items, be it Japanese street food or a seven-course dinner at a posh Japanese restaurant. Some have the touch of royalty, while some are readily available at local cheap chain shops. More so, there are restaurants themed around Ninja and robots, a few specialising in a single dish and others serving a range of authentic Nihon cuisines.
Whether you are visiting Japan or wish to tuck into the rich ingredients in flavoursome Japanese cuisine at a restaurant in your locality, here’s a list of the top ten must-try foods from the Land of the Rising Sun.
One of the most popular Japanese dishes, Sushi has carved a place for itself in global cuisine. Sushi typically means raw fish. The dish consists of a slice of raw fish served on a rectangular bed of rice called the nigiri. The bed of rice is usually seasoned with vinegar, while the raw fish can be any type, with fatty tuna being the most popular choice. Any melt-in-your-mouth fish can be an alternative.
It takes years for professional chefs to master the art of making sushi. Some of the favourite variations of this dish are makizushi, which contains nori seaweed, and inarizushi, which includes fried tofu.
It is a nabemono dish or a “one-pot” dish. Nabemono means “things in a pot.” Shabu-Shabu refers to the sound of the ingredients that go into making this traditional food item. The dish consists of thinly sliced meat pieces along with seasonal vegetables. The entire food item is served in a central dish containing boiling water. The pieces - veg and non-veg—cook in the boiling water, piece by piece. The authentic taste comes from the selected choices of dipping sauces.
Gyoza is the Japanese version of Chinese dumplings. It is rich in ingredients, vegetables, and ground meat like pork. The flimsy pot-sticker dough wraps green onion, ginger, garlic, cabbage, nira chives, mushrooms, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Today, different versions of this local food of Japan are available.
Interestingly, the typical gyoza is crispy on the outside as it is pan-fried. However, the inside is as juicy as a Chinese dumpling.
Tofu is a Japanese food that is extremely popular in the Western world. It is known to be a healthy food item. Also, since the basic food is vegetarian, people worldwide love it. Tofu has been an essential part of the classic Japanese cuisine for centuries. Tofu is made of coagulated soy milk, and the curd is pressed into blocks. The chunks of soy can be quite firm or delicate and can be eaten raw, cooked or fried and used for garnishing food.
This Japanese dish is for those who love crispy and fried foods. Preparing tempura involves covering vegetables, fish, and meat in a special batter called tempura batter and deep frying it until the items become yellow and taste crunchy. The vegetables for making tempura are radishes, sweet potato, green beans, and pumpkin. For fish, prawns or other shellfish are usually used. People relish this dish with grated daikon and use tsuyu as a dip. It is served with either noodle soups or rice bowls.
Skewered grilled meat over charcoal, Yakitori is the Japanese version of Mughal kebabs. It is also a common street food in Japan and is much loved by the island's natives. Chicken is the most preferred meat for this item. You can enjoy the kebabs at leisure during mealtime or go in for snacks and a drink in the evening.
This one is for people who struggle to beat their craving for Japanese desserts. This dish is made from glutinous rice. It is a rice cake in which the essential ingredients are first steamed, ground, and pounded to make mocha, a sticky ball. The confectionary item is round and quite pretty appearance-wise, and it is soft. The rice cakes are sweetened by adding coconut milk and sugar.
The Japanese love the taste of egg noodles in a salty broth. It is called ramen. The truth is that the dish was imported from China. Today, the Japanese have embraced it as their own. There are four soup choices: pork bone soup or tonkatsu, salted soup, miso soup, and soy sauce soup. Places like Fukuoka love pork bone soup ramen, while in Hokkaido, the most-loved ramen soup is miso ramen.
A traditional Japanese dessert, Yokan is associated with the history of Japan and is a centuries-old sweet loved by locals. The dessert item entered the Land of Rising Sun during the Kamakira or Muromachi periods. The Japanese dessert is made from red bean paste. Sugar and gelatinous agar-agar are added to make it sweet. It is served in bite-sized pieces and cut into blocks. Enjoy this sweet delicacy along with a cup of tea. This is a dense dessert that is very sweet. One or two bites are enough to satisfy your sweet taste buds.
Oyakodon is a rice bowl and a top comfort food for Japanese locals. It is a go-to dish for Japanese people on weekdays. ‘Oyakodon’ means ‘parent and child rice bowl.’ This dish from Japanese cuisine features all nutritious ingredients mixed into a Japanese soup stock and topped with sauces. The base is steaming rice in a bowl. Chicken, eggs, and onions are beaten and fried in one pan and then simmered to prepare this healthy local dish.
Many other delicacies from Japanese cuisine are worth tasting at least once. If you are visiting Japan, you can easily order these food items from any restaurant and enjoy the delectable taste of assorted Japanese street food. In other countries, you must look for Japanese restaurants that serve authentic Japanese food. With plenty of choices to suit your palate, this is one meal that you will never forget!
Q. Name three most sought-after Japanese dishes.
A. While individual tastes and preferences are key, globally, the three most-loved dishes from Japanese cuisine are Sushi, tempura, and ramen.
Q. Which is the most popular food in Japan outside Japan?
A. It is sushi, as people from all over the world love this Nihon delicacy.
Q. What is the National Food of Japan?
A. The country’s national food is curry rice. There is a huge fan following of this dish in Japan. The twist is that it is not a local dish. It was first introduced in the late 1800s in the country but slowly became a huge rage. Of course, Japanese chefs have given the curry their version. Locals love to eat the curry with rice and cutlets.
Q. What about the spicy flavours of Japanese food?
A. Japanese food is usually less spicy than most cuisines in Asia. The country's culinary history emphasises using fresh ingredients and natural flavours.
Q. Does Japanese food contain garlic?
A. Since the Japanese eat more fish-based food and less meat, the local cuisines contain minimal garlic. Even pepper is used in minimal amounts in Japanese food.
Q. Which are the hottest and the spiciest food in Japan?
A. According to national surveys, mapo tofu is one of the spiciest foods served in Japan. It contains meat and Szechuan spices.
Q. Do Japanese eat meat?
A. Yes, many local cuisines contain meat. Japanese love to eat animals like goats, whales, deer, boars, and horses. They also eat ducks, doves, turkeys, ostriches, ducklings, and sparrows.
Q. Is authentic Japanese sushi spicy?
A. Japanese cuisine is known for its simplicity. Less spice is one key feature of Japanese dishes, and fresh ingredients are also key aspects of the cuisine.
Q. Is mutton a relished dish in Japan?
A. Only the region of Hokkaido consumes mutton. There are few other places in Japan where locals eat mutton.
Q. What are the top 10 Japanese foods?
A. The list is very subjective because it entirely depends on your taste preferences. In general, it has been seen that these Japanese dishes are most loved locally and internationally –
--- Published By Arpita Mathur
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